table in the school. No tallow candles, but only wax to be used, no meat, drink, or bottles, to be brought; nor no breakfasts nor drinkings in the time of learning. That the scholars use no cockfighting, nor riding about of victory, nor disputing at St. Bartholomew's; which are but foolish babbling, and loss of time. That they have no remedies [i. e. that is play-days begged] except the king, an archbishop, or a bishop, present in his own person, desired it. The children every Childermas-day to go to Paul's church, and hear the child bishop sermon, and after to be at the high mass, and each offer a penny to the child bishop; and with them the masters and surveyors of the school. In general processions, when warned, they shall go two and two together soberly; and not sing out, but say devoutly seven psalms with the litany. That if any child admitted here, go to any other school to learn there, such child for no man's suit be again received into the school.

"To be taught always in good literature both Latin and Greek, and good authors, such as have the very Roman eloquence joined with wisdom; especially Christian authors, that wrote their wis dom with clean and chaste Latin, either in verse or prose.

“The honourable company of Mercers of London to have all the charge, and care, and rule of the school. They to chuse every year of their company, two honest, substantial men to be the surveyors of the school, who, in the name of the whole fellowship, shou'd take all the care and business of the school for that year; to pay the masters and chaplains their quarterly wages; and at the latter end of the year their liveries in cloth. And once in the year to give up their accounts to the master, wardens, and assistants. Then a little dinner to be made; and to call to account the receiving of all the estate of the school: and the master warden to receive a noble, the two other wardens five shillings; the surveyors two shillings; and for their riding to visit the lands eleven shillings; the clerk of the mercery three shillings and fourpence, with some other gifts. That which was spared that day in rewards and charges to be put into the treasury of the school. What remained to be given to the fellowship of the mercery, to the maintaining and repairing all belonging to the school from time to time. The surplusage, above repairs and casualties, to be put into a coffer of iron, given by Colet, standing in their hall. And there, from year to year, to remain apart by itself, that it might appear how the school of itself maintained itself. And at

length,

length, over and above the whole livelihood, if the said school grow to any further charge to the mercery, that then also it might appear, to the laud, and praise, and mercy of the said fellowship.

"

Lastly, that he left it to the said company to add and diminish to and from this his book, and to supply it in every default, and also to declare in it, as time, place, and just occasion should require."

The best account of Dean Colet's foundation is given in the following letter from Erasmus to Justus Jonas, translated by Dr. Knight: *

"Upon the death of his father, when, by right of inheritance, he was possessed of a good sum of money; lest the keeping of it should corrupt his mind, and turn it too much toward the world, he laid out a great part of it in building a new school in the churchs yard of St. Paul's, dedicated to the child Jesus: a magnificent fabric; to which he added two dwelling houses for the two several masters: and to them he allotted ample salaries, that they might teach a certain number of boys, free, and for the sake of charity. He divided the school into four apartments. The first, riz. the porch and entrance, is for catechumens, or the children to be instructed in the principles of religion; when no child is to be admitted, but what can read and write. The second apartment is for the lower boys, to be taught by the second master or usher: the third for the upper forms, under the head master: which two parts of the school are divided by a curtain, to be drawn at pleaOver the master's chair is an image of the child Jesus, of admirable work, in the gesture of teaching; whom all the boys, going and coming, salute with a short hymn: and there is a representation of God the Father, saying Hear ye him; these words being written at my suggestion. The fourth, or last apartment, is a little chapel for divine service. The school has no corners, or hiding places; nothing like a cell or closet. The boys have their distinct forms, or benches, one above another. Every form holds sixteen; and he that is head, or captain of each form, has a little kind of desk by way of pre-eminence. They are not to admit all boys of course; but to choose them in according to their parts and capacities. The wise and sagacious founder saw that the greatest hopes and happiness of the commonwealth were in the training up

sure.

of children to good letters and true religion: for which purpose he laid out an immense sum of money; and yet he would admit no one to bear a share in this expence. Some person having left a legacy of 100%. sterling toward the fabric of the school, Dean Colet perceived a design in it, and, by leave of the bishop, got that money to be laid out upon the vestments of the church of St. Paul. After he had finished all, he left the perpetual care and oversight of the estate, not to the clergy; not to the bishop; not to the chapter; nor to any great minister at court; but amongst the married laymen, to the company of Mercers, men of probity and reputation. And when he was asked the reason of so committing the trust, he answered to this effect:-That there was no absolute certainty in human affairs; but for his part, he found less corruption in such a body of citizens, than in any other order or degree of mankind."

The original building was consumed by the fire of London in 1666, soon after which the present edifice arose in its place; with the addition of a library, and an house on the south end thereof for the second master; whose dwelling before, and from the first founding of the school, was in the Old Change. This house hath a very handsome front, answerable to the high master's at the north end of the school; on which is engraven, Edes Præceptoris Grammatices.

St. Paul's school is a very singular and at the same time a very handsome edifice. The central building, in which is the school, is of stone; it is much lower than the ends, and has only one series of windows, which are large, and raised a considerable height from the ground. The centre is adorned with rustic, and on the top is a handsome pediment, in which are the founder's arms placed in a shield; upon the apex stands a figure representing Learning. Under this pediment are two windows which are square, and on each side are two circular windows crowned with busts, and the spaces between them are handsomely ornamented by work in relievo. Upon a level with the foot of the pediment runs on either side a handsome balustrade, on which is placed on each side a large bust with a radiant crown, between two flaming vases.

The school is large and spacious, ornamented with a bust of the founder, by Bacon; of the late much respected high master Mr. George Thicknesse, placed by a voluntary subscription of the scholars; and by some emblematical engravings, the gift of the late patron of literature and the arts, Mr. Alderman Boydell. It consists of eight classes, or forms; in the first whereof children learn their rudiments; and from thence, according to their proficiency, are advanced unto the other forms, till they rise to the eighth. Whence, being commonly made perfect grammarians, good orators and poets, well instructed in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and sometimes in other oriental languages, they remove to the universities; and many of them enjoy exhibitions, some of ten pounds a year for seven years, if they continue so long, towards their maintenance there. The 'school is governed and taught by three masters and an assistant. The high master has the manor house of Stepney attached to his situation as preceptor.

The grand examination of the scholars, takes place after Easter, which takes up two days, on the last of which the seniors of the eighth class make their recitations in Greek, Latin, English, &c. previously to entrance at some college; and the captain of the school leaves it annually, with the reward of an exhibition, unconfined to any college, of 407. per annum for four years, and 501. for the three succeeding years. There are no less than twenty-seven exhibitions belonging to this eminent seminary.

There are, however, the following necessary, precautions by the company of Mercers:

"ORDERS made at several courts of assistants, held by the worshipful Company of Mercers, relative to scholars of St. Paul's School intending to offer themselves as candidates for exhibitions.

1732, March 16. Ordered, that no scholar be permitted to petition for an exhibition, who does not lodge his petition in the clerk's office one month at least before the appofition court; and that the clerk communicate the same to the wardens of the school for the time being.

"1754, March 22. That when any petitions are presented to the court of assistants for exhibitions to be granted to scholars eduVOL. III. No. 71. cated

3 R

cated in this school, the high master shall be called in, and asked as to the qualifications of such scholars as shall have so petitioned.

"1763, March 24. That no scholar who shall go to the univer sity without the consent of the court of assistants, or the surveyor accomptant of the school for the time being, be permitted to petition for any one of the school exhibitions.

"1773, March 4. That no scholar be permitted to petition for an exhibition until he shall have been full four years in the school, upon the foundation, by the appointment of the surveyor or ac comptant for the time being."

The great Sir Thomas More, in a letter to Dean Colet, compared his school" to the wooden horse of Troy, out of which the Grecians issued to surprize the city." "In like manner," said he, "out of this your school many have come, that have subverted and overthrown all ignorance and rudeness."

The following list of eminent scholars will prove the truth of Sir Thomas's encomium:

THOMAS LUPSET, an eminent teacher of Greek at Oxford, died 1531.

Sir ANTHONY DENNY, privy counsellor to Henry VIII. Sir WILLIAM PAGET, lord Beaudesert, privy counsellor to four successive princes, died 1563.

Sir EDWARD NORTH, lord North, privy counsellor, died

1563.

JOHN LELAND, the eminent antiquary.

WILLIAM WHITAKER, D. D. regius professor of divinity in Cambridge, the champion for the Protestant religion against cardinal Bellarmine.

WILLIAM CAMDEN, author of the Britannia.

WILLIAM BURTON, the Leicestershire antiquary, and anthor of a "Commentary on Antoninus's Itinerary," die 1657.

JOHN MILTON.

Sir PETER PETT, an eminent civilian, one of the first members of the Royal Society.

Sir CHARLES SCARBOROUGH. See under Barber's Hall.

SAMUEL